Prophecy of the Six: United
by rhysandor
Summary: The legend of the Golden Trio is well documented through the first six books of the Harry Potter series that have been published. This, however, is what happens when the Trio team up with Team Deja Vu.
1. Chapter 1

Happy Beginnings and Sad Endings

Harry Potter and all other characters from the novels by J. K. Rowling belong to J. K. Rowling. On the other hand, Alex, Danielle, Chris, and Kylie, being original characters, belong to me.

August 11, 1981

University Hospital, Labor and Delivery Unit

"He is a very beautiful baby, isn't he, dear?"

"Well, of course, he is, love. It's just that the fact that his hair keeps changing color makes me a little nervous." The proud father looked upon his newborn, Christopher, just as his hair turned forest green.

"Well, Alex dear, perhaps our son is a metamorphmagus."

Children's Hospital, Labor and Delivery

Danielle was napping peacefully after giving birth to her only child, Kylie, who was also asleep in the post-natal ward, when she began to have a rather lifelike dream. She actually found herself climbing out of the hospital bed in order to remove her newborn daughter from her crib, after which she returned to her bed and lay down, with Kylie cradled in her arms. When she awoke an hour later, she discovered that her daughter, in fact, was snuggled up to her, lying on her chest.

St. Mungo's Hospital, Labor and Delivery

"Okay, dear, just one more push."

"If you don't quit saying 'one more push,' I'm going to push your ears together."

"Well, that's what they say every time you've given birth in the past."

The woman in labor just rolled her eyes at her husband. "With the number of times I've given birth, I would think you realize I know what I'm doing by now." _'Given how painful delivering a baby is, it's a miracle I haven't already killed him,' _she thought to herself.

The midwife looked at her. "I know you just told your husband off for this, Molly, but you do need to make one last push. That way, you and Arthur can finally have this beautiful little girl you've been waiting for."

"Oh, Arthur, our little girl." Molly bore down for one last push.

"Here she comes." The sound of a baby crying suddenly filled the room. "Well it seems little miss Ginevra has a healthy pair of lungs."

Arthur muttered to himself. "Just like her mother."

"Did you say something, dear?"

"I said she's just as beautiful as her mother," he lied.

Molly just looked at him suspiciously.

The midwife spent a few minutes cleaning the newborn child before handing her to her mother and leaving the room. All of a sudden, strange things began to happen. The lights in the room began to dim, while little Ginevra began to glow. To make matters worse, this little girl, who had been born less than an hour ago, began to speak.

"Now, all of the Six have been born, as the three who are born today will join with the three who came before. The forces of Light have arrived, they who shall join in the bonds of friendship and family, to protect the world from the approaching Darkness, and the one who will be marked shall lead them. Now, all of the Six have been born."

Everything in the room returned to normal, leaving Arthur and Molly to stare at their daughter in amazement. Then, Molly spoke up. "Dear, per-perhaps you should contact Albus."

Moments later, Arthur returned in the company of Professor Albus Dumbledore, who was carrying a large bowl made of an unknown material. The elderly-looking man set the bowl on a bedside table and turned toward Arthur and Molly. "Are you familiar with pensieves?"

When both bobbed their heads in agreement, he explained to them that he wished to view their memory of the event that had just taken place and, once they had agreed to allow it, extracted their memories. After examining the prophecy for a few moments, he began to speak.

"I am certain you have many questions you wish to ask; however, for the safety of those mentioned, I find it necessary to do so with a fidelius charm in effect. I, of course, am willing to act as the secret keeper on this occasion. Is that acceptable to both of you?" They nodded quickly. "Excellent. Let us begin." Then, he cast the spell, which would stop anyone in the room, except Professor Dumbledore, from telling anyone anything said.

"Is our daughter in danger?"

Albus looked thoughtful for a moment. "The way I see it, there are two ways Ginevra can be put at risk. The first, of course, is for news of the prophecy she just delivered to get out. That is preventable simply by not providing the Ministry with any knowledge of it, which is the best course of action. The second is if there is another prophecy that leads to her in unfriendly hands. If that should occur, it is unlikely we would ever know about it."

A very determined look flashed across Molly's face. "Well, then, we'll just have to be on guard that people of the wrong sort don't get anywhere near our baby. Now, who do you suppose the rest of the Six are? I'm concerned that one of the others is another one of my children."

"I must say that is a very real possibility. However, increased protection on one will generally result in increased protection for all. As far as the one to be marked is concerned, I am limited regarding the information I can give you. The reason for that is there are two possible young men it could be." He removed a strange looking device from his pocket and looked at it for a moment. "I apologize for this but I have urgent business elsewhere which I must attend to. If you think of any other questions, contact me and I will respond as quickly as I can." He then strode from the room.

Arthur looked at his wife for a moment. "Do you suppose his 'urgent business' involves discovering who the other children are? He seemed to have no ideas of his own as to their identities," he said to alleviate any concern his wife might have over Dumbledore's abrupt departure.

"Oh, o-of course, that must be what he wanted to do. Would you mind taking Ginny for a while, dear? I think I could use a bit of a nap."

"Of course, love. Be happy to."

November 1st, 1981

#4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey

After leaving young Harry Potter on the doorstep of the Dursley's home and saying goodbye to him, Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall made their way down the street to the point where they apparated in. "So, Albus, have you had any success determining who the Six are, other than Ginevra Weasley?"

"I am not certain, Minerva, although I think Arthur and Molly were correct; at least one of the Weasley boys is a logical candidate to be one of them. In addition, if memory serves, James Potter's brother, Alex, and his wife were expecting their first child sometime in early August. That would be another way for the Six to be bound by family ties and would account for the identities of four of the Six. However, I can not confirm this because Alex and his family have gone into hiding, just as James and Lily did."

"I, also, have yet to be able to determine whom the other two are, which leads me to believe they are probably muggleborn. If that is the case, we will not find out who they are until they have begun to interact with the others. There were, unfortunately, no births recorded among families of the wizarding world on August 11th last, other than Ginny Weasley."

"There is no record of the other Potter child being born?"

"There has not been yet, though I continue to investigate. Although, if I were Alex Potter, I would have created another identity, perhaps a muggle one, and hidden myself within their society; it does have a much larger population. Well, I must be going. I will see you back at Hogwarts." So saying, he disappeared.

"Why does that man insist on being so… mysterious?"

October 26th, 1991

2:30 PM

"Are you sure you don't mind taking Chris to the movies with you?"

"Of course not, Alex. My daughter would be completely unmanageable without her best friend to help keep her in line."

"Mother!"

"I'm just teasing, dear," she said with a smile. "I'll have him back in a few hours, Alex."

"Thanks, Danielle. Chris, you behave and try not to get Kylie into to much trouble."

"You know, dad, that's one of the reasons that if you look up the word adult in the dictionary, it says see spoilsport," he said with a grin.

Alex laughed for a moment. "I love you too, brat."

Danielle looked at Alex for a moment. "So, you just going to sit around the living room all day?"

Chris leaned toward Kylie and whispered, "Here we go. Single-parents-who-are-next-door-neighbors syndrome strikes again." Kylie bit her lip to keep from laughing. "If they start dating, we could end up being step-sibs; I might have a problem with that. It would keep us from dating each other when we get older."

"Planning for the future already," she whispered back and smiled.

"Well, you are really cute for a tom girl." He smirked at her for a moment. "Or would that be dream girl."

"Not so loud with that around my mum; I don't know how well she'd take the fact that I, like you and your dad, have magic."

"Ready to go?"

"Sure, Mrs. Granger."

"Let's go, mum."

The three of them got into Mrs. Granger's car and made the ten-minute drive to the nearest cinema.

"So what movie do you kids want to see?"

"Any chance of seeing something R-rated," Chris said as he smirked at Danielle.

"There are exactly two chances of that, slim and none." was her response.

"Chris, you should have expected that answer; it is the typical adult response, you know." Kylie gave him a playful slap to the back of the head. "Mom, do they have anything playing that has nothing to do with the real world? You know, like sci-fi or fantasy."

"The two of you like that sort of thing way too much." She looked up at the marquee. "However, it looks like you're in luck. Let's get our tickets."

Just as they stepped up to the box office, they began to hear the sound of a disturbance in the parking lot. When they turned, they were able to see a man dressed in robes, who was waving a wand. Fire shot from the end of it, causing a car to explode.

Danielle began rummaging through her purse. "You two take cover behind the trash can over there." After searching through her purse for a few more seconds, Danielle produced a wand of her own, sighted in on the robed figure and cast a spell. "Petrificus totalis." As the spell hit, the man's body went rigid and he fell forward.

Kylie looked at her mother in stunned amazement. "You're a witch, too?"

"What do you mean, I'm a witch, too, Kylie? Do you have the gift? I was beginning to think you were, God forgive me for this term, a Squib." She then remembered that Chris was present and her expression became horrified.

Chris looked from Mrs. Granger toward Kylie. "Well, now we know where you get it from." He looked back toward Mrs. Granger. "Use a summoning spell to get his wand and I might be able to give you a little help if anymore of them show up."

Danielle was looking at Chris as if he had just grown a second head.

"Mrs. Granger. Listen to me. Just so you know, my dad is a pureblood, my mom was considered a muggleborn and I'm a halfblood. I'm also a metamorphmagus," he said as he changed his hair from black to blond. "We know Kylie is a witch, as well as what's known as a Dreamwalker, which is probably the rarest special ability known to the wizarding world. There have actually been more recorded parselmouths than there have been dreamwalkers. Now could you get me that clown's wand, please? I want to be able to help you if you need it."

She quickly summoned the fallen man's wand and handed it to Chris. "I think it's a good idea if I take the two of you home rather than watching a movie today. I definitely think the three of us should have a talk with your dad, Chris. I had no idea that the two of you were part of the wizarding world."

"We didn't know you were, either. We just figured that Kylie was randomly muggleborn instead of the daughter of a witch."

Deciding that further conversation could wait until she and the children arrived home, Mrs. Granger quickly ushered Chris and Kylie back into her car and sped in the direction of her house.

The scene that awaited them when they returned was one of horror; both Chris's house and the Granger residence were engulfed in flames and Alex was pinned down by spells being cast by three more people wearing outfits similar to those worn by the man at the movie theater.

As the car went past one of the robed figures, Chris stuck his 'borrowed' wand out the window and cast a disarming charm. He was immediately rewarded with the sight of a wand flying through the air. His father was able to take advantage of the surprise caused by the new arrivals and stunned another of his attackers.

Danielle brought the car to a complete stop and threw the driver's door open, wand at the ready but the two conscious men were already fleeing the scene. She quickly moved toward Alex. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fi-," then he saw what she had in her hand. "You have a wand."

"Yeah, dad, isn't it cool? Mrs. Granger is one of us."

"You should have seen my mom at the theater, Mr. Potter. One of these guys was there and she hit him with a full body bind from fifty feet away, easy," Kylie said, pride evident in her voice.

"Back up a moment. There was one of these men at the cinema?" The sound of sirens in the distance was beginning to intrude on their conversation. "Maybe we should continue this little chat elsewhere, after we deal with whatever authorities are about to arrive."

The condition of both houses had finally registered on Danielle Granger. "No. We've lost everything but the car and the clothes on our backs." She began to cry over the loss of every remembrance of her late husband, who had succumbed to cancer, and Alex's wife, her friend, who had been killed by a drunk driver several years ago.


	2. Chapter 2

Fond Farewells and Unexpected Surprises

Alex and Danielle, after being questioned for several hours, finally received permission to find a motel for the night so that they and the children could talk and get a good night's sleep. In an angry mood, due to the late arrival of members of the American Cabinet of Magic, Alex quickly ordered a couple of pizzas and the four of them began discussing what had happened earlier.

"I can't believe how slow the cabinet was in helping to gain control of this situation. The British ministry would have dealt with it a lot quicker," Alex said, with rage obvious in his voice. "Chris and Kylie shouldn't have been left standing around in the open like that. There could have been more of those thugs around."

Danielle was still visibly shaken up about everything they had lost. It was all she could do to keep from pulling both of the kids into a rib-crushing hug; she knew, however, that she needed to be strong and help to plan what they were going to do now. "Do you and Chris have relatives here in the States, Alex?"

"I have no idea if we have any living relatives left alive anywhere in the world, except for Chris's maternal grandmother. If I would have known that you were a witch, I could have told you why I left Britain to begin with, Danielle, but it would have been a violation of the secrecy laws the wizarding community has in place. I just hope you and Kylie didn't lose everything because of a situation from the past that involves my family."

"What do you mean, Alex?"

"Before I answer that, I need to ask you how much you know about a war taking place fifteen years ago involving a Dark wizard who calls himself Lord Voldemort."

"I know that when I was at Beauxbatons during that time most his activities were centered in England and Scotland. He was committing some very heinous acts and did not seem to care who was hurt in the crossfire. I heard quite a few of his victims were children."

"You're right about that. In fact, it is possible that one child who was a victim may have been my niece or nephew. My brother, James, and his wife, Lily, may very well have been, also. My brother and I found it necessary to take our immediate families and go into hiding, separately, ten years ago. To keep our family's enemies from tracking us down, we chose not to communicate with each other. Only one person in England ever knew Melissa and I had gotten married and that we expected Chris. I may be an uncle or I may be an only child now; I just don't know."

"So, because you became a target here and they came after us at the theater, you think they were after you and Chris."

"It does make a certain amount of sense, Danielle."

"How do you account for our house catching fire?"

"I think it was a major act of stupidity. They fired on the wrong house, at first."

An angry look flashed across Danielle's face for a moment, causing a single tear to run down Chris' face. When she saw that, Danielle immediately crossed the room and embraced the boy gently. "Chris, I'm not angry with you and your dad about this, so please don't cry. Despite what your dad just told me, this is not your fault or his. It will be all right. We just have to decide what we're going to do now."

Alex looked at Danielle for a moment, and then asked, "Have you ever considered returning to England?"

"Well, Kylie and I do have some family there. Why do you ask?"

"Because, if you're interested, I think I can get Kylie into Hogwarts as a student. I've already applied to have Chris admitted."

"Do you really believe you can accomplish that?"

"Well, the person who knew about Melissa and I being married is a professor there. I am almost positive that my

contact can arrange for Kylie's acceptance. So, what do you say?"

"What do you think, Kylie? Hogwarts has the best reputation of all the schools in Europe, including, much as I hate to admit it, Beauxbatons."

"I'd be at school with Chris?"

"You will, if Alex can arrange it."

"Sounds good to me. Let's do it."

Alex laughed at the pleased smile pasted on Kylie's face. "Alright, then. Tomorrow, we'll do some shopping to replace some of the things that were lost and I'll send off an owl post to my contact in England."

With that, the Grangers went back to their room and everybody settled in to their beds for a good night's sleep.

The following morning, the four of them met over breakfast to decide where they would be going shopping and exactly what they were going to purchase. Alex suggested that American-made wands would be a good idea for Chris and Kylie. Because the American wizarding community did not have a law restricting underage witches and wizards from the use of magic, wands in this country did not come with the spell that allows the ability to trace magic use.

"Alex, are you sure that's wise? I'm not sure that I want Kylie able to use magic any time she wants."

"Mother!"

"Danielle, I know you have concerns about whether she might misuse magic, but it might be better if she can defend herself without the Ministry of Magic sending owls ordering her to report for hearings every time it becomes necessary. Besides, despite the way I tease the two of them, they are fairly responsible kids."

"Well, at least I am, Mom." Kylie grinned at Chris, who now had a look of indignation on his face.

"Oh, you are so funny, Kylie, not." Then, he broke out with a grin of his own.

"Ok, ok, you three win. American wands it is. So, where are we going to get them?"

"Well, the three best choices are in Salem, Santa Fe and Roanoke Island, which is the closest." Alex looked thoughtfully at the two youngsters. "I think that just before the school year starts, we might want to get them a second wand each at Ollivanders. It would confuse the ministry by making them think the kids have one wand each that meets their requirements but would still give them another they could use for more covert reasons. It wouldn't hurt if the two of us do the same thing."

"Are these attacks likely to continue to occur, then?"

"I hope not, Danielle, but better safe than sorry."

"That's not as reassuring as I'd hoped for but ok, I guess we should be off for Roanoke Island."

Advising Chris to hold on to his arm tightly, while Danielle insisted that Kylie do the same with hers, the adults did a side-along apparition to a special section of Roanoke Island, North Carolina, which was set aside for use exclusively by members of the wizarding community. Once they arrived, they quickly made their way to the wand shop and stepped inside.

An extremely wizened old man walked up to them. "How may I help you?"

Alex replied, "We're looking to purchase wands for our children. I hope you can help us."

"Of course. If you would please step over here." He led them in the direction of several dusty shelves filled with long, thin boxes. He then gave Chris and Kylie appraising looks. "Has either of these children begun to exhibit any special talents which might make certain wand materials more appropriate for them?"

"I wasn't aware that certain materials helped with the use of natural abilities, sir," Alex replied.

"There are two schools of thought on the subject. I don't much hold with the idea myself but the owner of the store insists that we ask."

"That's a new one on me but, no, I don't believe they do."

"Very well. Ladies first, then." The clerk looked at Kylie, turned to the middle shelf and pulled down a box from the left side of it. "Have you ever used a wand before, young miss?"

"No, sir."

"In that case, just give it a little wave and see if it takes a liking to you."

Chris just smiled at the look of confusion on Kylie's face. "According to what dad tells me, the wand chooses the person who uses it, not the other way around."

"Be nice, Chris. She's probably never been in a wand shop before," Alex admonished.

Kylie chose to stick out her tongue at Chris as she waved the wand in the air. Suddenly, a cream pie appeared out of nowhere, which narrowly missed hitting Chris in the face. She laughed. "Does that happen often?"

"No, what usually happens when the wand decides it should belong to the person testing it out is a sort of magical light show. That particular result is one that I've never seen before in my life, which, as you can tell, has been quite a long one," the old man replied.

"It might have something to do with the mischievous mood you seem to have been in."

Danielle was looking slightly embarrassed by what had happened. "I'm so sorry for the mess," she said, as she looked at the now gooey shelves directly behind her daughter's best friend.

The store clerk just smiled, pulled out his own wand and cast a cleaning spell, leaving the shelves cleaner than when the four arrived. "So, young man, it's your turn now." He noticed the impudent look Chris was giving Kylie. "I mean to receive your new wand, not to get revenge," he said, though the corners of his mouth twitched, as if he were fighting the urge to grin. He moved to one of the shelves on the opposite wall, carefully turned his head from left to right, stopping to grab a box just to the right of center.

"Here you go. Try this one."

Much to Chris's dismay neither that wand nor the next three liked him the way Kylie's new wand liked hers but on the fifth try the result was the magical light show the clerk had referred to.

"Very well. The young man's wand is made of beech and has a griffin feather as its core. The young lady's is ash with the tail hair of a bicorn. The price will be ten galleons each, please."

Alex paid for the wands and they left the store very pleased with the results. "Where do we need to go next?"

"Clothing would be nice," said Danielle. "Is there a mall nearby?"

"I think there's one about ten blocks from here."

"Let's go."

Fifteen minutes later, they found themselves in one of the better clothing stores, where Danielle was having the time of her life. Alex, Chris and Kylie quickly purchased everything they felt they needed. Half an hour later, however, Mrs. Granger was still trying to decide which items to keep from an extremely large quantity of clothing she had removed from various shelves and racks and the others were quickly becoming impatient to leave.

"Dad, just how much money do we have with us?" Chris asked, in a much louder voice than was necessary, causing Danielle to her stick her tongue out at him, in much the same way her daughter had earlier. Chris just grinned impishly at her.

Sensing the impatience of those she had arrived with, Danielle quickly made her final selections. Ten minutes later, with everything paid for, they made their way out of the store. They walked half a block from the mall, ducked into an alley and apparated back to their hotel.

After agreeing to meet in the Granger's room in two hours to discuss what they needed to do prior to leaving for England, the four of them split up to give themselves the opportunity to clean up and put on fresh clothing.

After Chris and Alex had made themselves more presentable, they walked down the hallway to Kylie and Danielle's room and knocked on the door. Kylie opened the door and told them that her mom was still in the bathroom. She then knocked on the door and told her mom that they were in the room.

After five minutes, Danielle joined them. "So, what now?"

Alex quickly suggested that they spend the next few days purchasing any last items they felt that they wanted to take with them and to arrange for the forwarding of the insurance settlements through the Cabinet of Magic to their Gringotts accounts. He also suggested that they make a visit to the cemetery plots of Chris's mom and Kylie's dad.

By October 30, they finished the arrangements for the insurance, as well as all of the shopping, used magic to shrink their bags and decided to visit the cemetery that afternoon. They spent several hours saying farewell to the ones they loved and shedding tears for their loss. Then, they found an isolated section of the graveyard and apparated to the village of Hogsmeade, and checked into the Three Broomsticks for the night.

They arose late the following morning and had an early lunch. Afterwards, Alex suggested that they go to Hogwarts that evening in the hopes of attending the Halloween Night feast and offered to show them around the village as a way to spend the afternoon. They wiled away the hours in various stores, including Honeydukes, where each of them just had to sample the goods, and Zonko's, where Alex refused to buy anything for Chris until he knew he would not be on the receiving end of any of the jokes.

Finally, the time to make their way to Hogwarts arrived. The four made their way leisurely up the road to the front gates of the most well known school of magic in the wizarding world and quickly walked through.

As they approached the large double doors to the castle itself, the doors began to swing open. The four were surprised to see three people dressed in robes escorting what looked to be some sort of troll out of the main building.

One of the three noticed the newcomers. "Well, well, Alexander Potter." The speaker, a tall man with lank, greasy black hair and a hooked nose, began to sneer at Alex, who chose to grace the man in return with a look of disgust.

"Please tell me you are not an instructor here, Severus."

Before he could respond, one of the others moving the troll, a tall, rather severe-looking older woman stepped forward to greet Alex and his party. "Alexander, it has been too long since the last time you were here."

He quickly walked up the steps to embrace the woman. "Professor McGonagall, it's so good to see you again. How have you been?"

"I'm doing rather well, although, as you can see, we have had a bit of excitement here this evening. Perhaps it would be possible to talk in my office. What happened will be of interest to you. Please, come this way." She began walking briskly down the corridor, giving Alex and his companions little choice but to quickly follow.

After a couple of moments, they arrived at the professor's office, where she quickly invited them in and offered them places to sit. As she looked at Danielle and Kylie, her face clearly mirrored the curiosity running through her mind as to their identities. When she turned to look upon Chris, a slight smile appeared. "He does remind me a bit of his mother, rest her soul."

"I wish she was still here. We've both missed her terribly over the years since she died." Alex placed his hand on Chris's shoulder. I suppose, though, that I should explain why we have come to England earlier than I had planned. However, before I do that, let me introduce you to the ladies. Kylie and Danielle, this is Minerva McGonagall, Professor of Transfiguration and Deputy Headmistress here at Hogwarts. Professor, Danielle Granger and her daughter, Kylie."

The look of curiosity returned vigorously to the professor's face. "It seems to be a night for Potters and Grangers to be united. The mountain troll we escorted out this evening was knocked unconscious in an encounter with three first year students, Ronald Weasley, Hermione Granger, and Harry Potter."

"So I am an uncle," Alex stated, as he noticed that, for some reason, Danielle had turned slightly pale. "Danielle, what's wrong?"

"D-did you say Hermione? Geoffrey and Ariel Granger's only daughter, Hermione?"

Professor McGonagall glanced at her for a moment. "From the expression on your face and the knowledge you possess, I assume you are related to the young lady."

"Yes, she's my niece."

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Professor McGonagall arose from her chair, quickly crossed the room and opened it. "Albus. Please, come in."

As Professor McGonagall stepped aside, a tall man with a white beard hanging down to his waist stepped inside. "Severus advised me that you have visitors. Ah, Alexander, I am so glad to see you have finally returned to England."

"I'm glad to be back, professor, especially since Professor McGonagall was telling me a bit regarding the excitement that happened here earlier this evening. My nephew and two other first years managed to beat up a mountain troll, from what she tells us."

"Proof positive that he is his father's son." He turned to face his colleague. "Have you had time to tell him anything else, Minerva?"

"I'm afraid not, Albus. We had just begun to talk."

"In that case, perhaps you would allow me to fill Alexander in on the events that have occurred during his absence. While I do, you could take your grandson and these two lovely ladies to meet young Harry." As he suggested that, the corners of his mouth began to twitch from suppressed mirth.

"Just once, I'd like to put something past him," Professor McGonagall grumbled heatedly, as she led Chris, Kylie and Danielle from the room. "I cannot for the life of me figure out how he knew Alex had married my daughter, Melissa. I told no one."

Moments later, they found themselves outside of Gryffindor tower.

"Caput Draconis."

The portrait of the Fat Lady swung open and Professor McGonagall led the three visitors into the Gryffindor common room, where the assembled members of her house were still eating dinner.

Suddenly, they found their ears assaulted by the sound of a shrill scream. "Aunt Danielle."

Danielle Granger was almost knocked to the floor as a young girl with bushy brown hair ran up and gave her a rather aggressive hug. "It's good to see you, too, Hermione, but if it's not too much to ask, I'd appreciate it if you could take it a little easier on my ribs." Then she returned the hug and gave her niece a smile.

Kylie also stepped forward to give Hermione a hug. "Hi, Hermione."

Hermione looked at her aunt and cousin for a moment. "I don't understand. How did the two of you get in to Hogwarts?"

Her two relatives quickly pulled out their wands and showed them to her.

"You're witches, too?"

Kylie nodded. "Chris's dad is going to see if he can get me admitted as a student here."

Professor McGonagall stepped forward. "I apologize for interrupting but perhaps it would be best for everybody to be properly introduced." She then motioned for a young boy with unruly black hair standing a few feet away to come over. "Students of Gryffindor House, I would like you to meet Danielle and Kylie Granger and Christopher Potter. Danielle and Kylie are the aunt and cousin of Hermione Granger," she then looked at Chris, "while Christopher is the cousin of this young man," she turned to look at the boy she had called over, "Harry Potter."


	3. Chapter 3

Confrontations

After Professor McGonagall had escorted Chris and the Grangers out, Alex asked the one question Professor Dumbledore had been dreading. "When can I speak to James and Lily?"

The professor let out a long, sad sigh and looked at Alex, with deep regret showing in his eyes. "Sit down, Alex, please."

Alex turned pale. "They're dead, aren't they?"

"I'm afraid so. Ten years ago this evening, Voldemort himself killed them when he went after Harry."

"I thought Harry wasn't necessarily the boy that the prophecy referred to."

"He was not, at least not until Voldemort gave him the scar that he will have on his forehead for the rest of his life."

"Where has Harry been living for the past ten years, then?"

"Since the death of his parents, Harry has been living with Lily's sister Petunia and her family, the Dursleys."

"I'm surprised they were willing to take him in. From what Lily told me, her sister thought Lily was a freak and that any one capable of magic was someone she wanted nothing to do with."

"Sad but true. I am afraid they have not been kind to Harry during the years they have been looking after him. They, in fact, attempted to prevent Harry from becoming a student here at Hogwarts by keeping him from reading the letters confirming his acceptance. From all indications, they also, until recently, had him using a small cupboard under the stairs as his bedroom."

A look of indignation crossed Alex's face. "I look forward to having a talk with these people."

"That may not be wise, Alexander. In order to protect Harry, I was forced to use the sacrifice his mother made to save his life to seal blood protections that require Harry to spend at least two weeks a year residing at his aunt's house. Making them angry may very well result in even more neglect for your nephew."

"Are you telling me that you expect me to leave Harry in their care?"

"If you wish for it to be impossible for those who see him as a threat to do him harm, that is exactly what must be done for two weeks out of each year. The blood protections must be maintained."

The professor observed the play of emotional responses across Alex's face. "Alexander, if you think it would have been better if you had stayed to stand with your brother, you are wrong. James and Lily would still be dead and you along with them. Your brother did not wish you to become a target or to see you used to force him out of hiding. Your return to England, so that Chris could attend Hogwarts, gives you the chance to make up for what Harry has gone through over the years. If you had died with James, Harry would have neither that nor the opportunity to have a cousin capable of caring about him, as he now has in the form of your son. There is much good to be done now that was unlikely ten years ago. If you are concerned that Harry will harbor ill will towards you and Christopher, I assure you that is not in his nature."

Professor Dumbledore rose from his chair. "I think it would be best if you and I proceed to Gryffindor tower. It occurs to me that Christopher and Harry know nothing of each other, including the fact that you are the only one of their four parents who is still living." He motioned Alex to follow him as he swept out of the room.

Hermione was stunned; despite all the reading she had done, she found herself taken completely by surprise by the knowledge that Harry had a cousin. In all the texts she had read that gave information on Voldemort's attempt to murder her friend, there had been no mention of any other members of Harry's family except for his parents.

She quickly became aware that she was not the only person taken by surprise; the Weasley's quickly came forward, expressing various degrees of shock at this revelation.

"Bloody hell."

"Has he lost his parents, too?"

"Perce, what kind of…"

"…question is that to ask?"

Before Hermione could stop the interrogation that the Weasley children were intent on, Professor McGonagall interrupted them. "Gentlemen, I believe that it might be appropriate for Harry to have an opportunity to speak with Christopher."

Ron actually had the grace to look embarrassed as he turned toward Harry. "Sorry, mate. It was just a bit unexpected to find out you still have family in the wizarding world."

Harry smiled at his red headed friend. "Imagine how I feel. This is the first I've heard about Chris."

Chris looked at him for a moment. "Weren't you aware that my dad and I were living in America?" He looked at Professor McGonagall in a rather surprised fashion.

The professor managed to look regretful but said nothing.

All of a sudden, there was a commotion from behind them. "It's Professor Dumbledore. Professor Dumbledore is here in the common room."

Hermione turned to look and saw the headmaster of Hogwarts, accompanied by another man who reminded her quite a bit of both Harry and the younger boy said to be Harry's cousin.

Professor Dumbledore stepped up to the group who were talking to Chris. "I see that introductions have been made. I wish to make one more. This is Alexander Potter, Harry's uncle from his father's side of the family. Alexander, this is Harry."  
He pointed in the direction of the young boy with messy black hair.

Alex stepped forward and laid his hand on Harry's shoulder. "If I would have known, Harry, I would have come sooner."

Chris looked confused. "If you had known what, Dad?"

Alex had a sad expression on his face as he explained what Professor Dumbledore had told him about the past ten years of Harry's life.

After hearing about the murders of his aunt and uncle and the way that the Dursleys had treated his cousin, a look of anger quickly appeared on Chris's face. "We're going to do something about this, aren't we? Tell me we can take Harry away from the Dursleys, Dad." He looked as if he was determined that his new found cousin should be treated like he was the most precious treasure to ever exist, despite the fact they had met for the first time less that an hour ago.

Professor Dumbledore spoke up before Chris' father had the chance had the chance to respond to his son's plea. "Christopher, there are reasons why Harry must continue to live with the Dursleys for at least two weeks out of the year."

The sudden explosion of noise as the Weasley boys, Harry's year mates and the members of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, all of whom had taken an immediate liking to Harry, voiced their outrage over Harry's situation with the Dursleys.

Hermione saw Professor McGonagall place the tip of her wand against her throat and heard her say, "Sonorous." This had the result of amplifying everything her Transfiguration teacher said after she had cast the spell. "Here, now, all of you calm down. I am certain Headmaster Dumbledore has good reason for saying Harry needs to be there, a reason you will not discover unless you let the headmaster speak."

"Thank you, Professor McGonagall. Children, I am pleased that you all feel so strongly about Harry; it is necessary, however, that he dwell in the home of someone who is of the same bloodline as his mother. There were protections placed on Harry that rely on that shared blood, protections that are intended to keep him safe from further attacks, such as the one he suffered when he was one year old. Permission to live with any one else who is willing to allow it during the rest of the year exists. Thus, during the school year, he attends Hogwarts safely and, as Alexander is willing to allow it during the summer holiday, he possesses the option of living with his uncle and cousin, if he so desires. Does that satisfy everyone present?"

There was a general murmur of agreement among the students who had protested Harry's living arrangements, although Hermione noticed that a few of the students who had complained managed to look ashamed about their outbursts.

Hermione glanced over at Harry to discover a pleased but shocked look on her friend's face and she graced him with a small smile to indicate how happy she was for him. She was relieved to find that any future neglect he would receive at the hands of his non-wizard family lessened with the addition of his uncle and cousin to Harry's life.

"Professor," she said, "what means do you have available to prevent the Dursleys from trying to keep Harry during summer holiday." It had occurred to her that if the Dursleys were determined to prevent Harry from becoming a wizard, they certainly would try to prevent him from living with any members of his family who were members of the wizarding community themselves.

"I have information that I can use to stop them from trying that, Miss Granger. Therefore, I will accompany Alexander when he meets with the Dursleys. It will make it possible to let them know, clearly, that such an attempt will have serious repercussions."

"Alexander, as long as the subject has come up, I would like to meet with you tomorrow in order to arrange a meeting with Vernon and Petunia. We can decide what rules we wish to enforce regarding Harry's care while he resides with them. We can also see to enrollment for Christopher and Kylie. To the end, I will need Miss Granger's date of birth for our records. As memory serves, your son's is August 11, 1981, is that correct?"

Alex replied, "Yes, and its Kylie's as well."

Danielle spoke up. "In fact, they've been celebrating their birthdays together for several years, now."

Hermione noticed that strange expressions flashed across the faces of both of the professors present, who looked at each other for a moment before turning to look at her cousin and then, surprisingly, at Hermione herself for a moment. She turned her face away, to avoid staring back at her teachers, only to discover that Chris also seemed to have noticed the reaction of Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall, if the look of curiosity on his face was any indication.

She returned her focus to the conversation that continued while she was distracted.

"- here noon tomorrow, if that doesn't conflict with your schedule."

"That is acceptable. If I may ask, where are you staying at this time?"

"We have rooms at the Three Broomsticks for tonight. Danielle and I have no plans other than that. Do you know the condition of Potter Manor, by any chance, Professor?"

"I am afraid that your family home requires extensive repairs before it qualifies as a suitable place to live, Alexander. Voldemort's people did significant damage to it a decade ago. I would be willing to help you secure the services of the right people to perform those repairs, if you wish. I can have that information for you tomorrow as well."

"That would be appreciated, professor. Would it be possible to spend some time with Harry tomorrow after our meeting? I would stay to give him the chance to talk tonight but it is getting late and we should be going."

"I agree. If he wishes it, I will see to it that Harry is available tomorrow during the afternoon. I may also have an alternative to spending Galleons on lodging at an inn, money that could be better used for other things. Well, I think I have shocked the students of Gryffindor enough for the evening, so I will take my leave. I shall see you tomorrow, Alexander. Good night." He quickly crossed the common room and disappeared out the exit.

Alex crossed to where Harry was standing. "I wish I could stay, Harry, but it is, indeed, getting late. I promise that I will see you tomorrow. You aren't alone any more. I will see to it that you receive the treatment that you're entitled to. Have a good night, Harry."

Kylie turned to her mom. "We can come back, too, right, Mom."

"Absolutely."

Chris quickly told Harry goodbye and, as he turned to follow his dad, said, "It was nice meeting you. I hope I see you tomorrow, too."

Danielle and Kylie each gave Hermione a hug, and said their farewells to everyone as they followed Alex and Chris out of Gryffindor Tower.

Professor Dumbledore, distracted by the information he had just received, made his way back to his office. He was now certain of the identities of the six children mentioned in prophecy the day Ginny Weasley was born. He quickly realized the necessity of arranging for the youngest of the Weasley children to meet those of the six she does not already know. It would also solve the problem of finding quarters for the four people newly arrived in England.

When he arrived in his office, he quickly grabbed a handful of Floo powder, threw it into his fireplace and called out, "The Burrow." He placed his head inside the fireplace and inquired if anyone was home.

Arthur Weasley gazed at the face of the Hogwarts headmaster for a second before replying. "Albus, to what do we owe the pleasure this evening?"

"I'm afraid this would be in the way of official business, Arthur. I find it necessary to request that you and Molly attend a meeting I have scheduled for tomorrow at noon in my office here at Hogwarts. I need to introduce you to some people. Do not concern yourself with finding someone to look after your daughter; we can make arrangements for someone here to watch her, just as they will be looking after the children of the people I wish you to meet."

"Who are these people you plan to introduce Molly and I to, Albus?"

"Alexander Potter, James' brother, and a friend of his by the name of Danielle Granger. It turns out Alexander's son, Christopher, and Danielle's daughter, Kylie, share something in common with your youngest child, Arthur, their dates of birth."

Mr. Weasley turned slightly pale. "So we know who the three born the same day are, now. It also looks as if Ron and Harry are two of the others. What about the last?"

"In answer to your question, I should advise you that we had an incident this evening where two first year Gryffindors managed to rescue a third from a mountain troll, who had inadvertently made its way into the school. The two heroic young lads were your son, Ronald, and his new best friend, Harry Potter. The first year Gryffindor they saved answers to the name of Hermione Granger, who is the cousin of our new arrival, Kylie."

"Bound by ties of friendship and family. Well, that leaves no doubt, does it? My wife and I will be there for your meeting, Albus. Thank you for the information."

"Before I go, I do need to ask a favor, Arthur. The new arrivals have not yet secured accommodations for themselves and I was wondering if it would be possible for them to stay at the Burrow until repairs to Potter Manor have been completed."

"I will talk it over with Molly and let you know tomorrow, Albus."

"Thank you, Arthur. A good evening to you." Professor Dumbledore's head disappeared from the fire.

Having completed that task, the professor began considering special tutoring for the six young people the prophecy was about in order to insure their survival; he knew he had a long night ahead of him.

At noon the following day, Alex and the others were admitted to Professor Dumbledore's office, only to discover that he was not alone. "Hagrid! It's good to see you."

"Alex Potter. 'Aven't see you in years. 'Ow 'ave you been?"

"Good for the most part, although, I got the bad news about my brother just last night. I've been out of touch with almost everyone the past ten years." He looked around and noticed that Minerva McGonagall was here, as were three red heads, two adults and a young girl. The youngster seemed to be Chris' age, which led Alex to believe the two adults were her parents.

Dumbledore spoke up. "Once again, introductions are in order. Alexander and Christopher Potter, Danielle and Kylie Granger, I would like you to meet the groundskeeper for Hogwarts, Rubeus Hagrid. I also wish to present Arthur and Molly Weasley and their daughter, Ginevra, although she prefers to be called Ginny."

"Nice to meet you."

The young red headed girl spoke up. "Sir, did you say Potter?"

"I did, indeed. Alexander and Christopher are Harry's uncle and cousin. They have recently come from America. Like you, young Christopher begins his education at Hogwarts next year, as will his friend, Kylie."

"So, we'll all be in the same year." She turned to the other two young people. "Nice to meet you."

Professor Dumbledore turned to look at Hagrid. "Hagrid, I was hoping that you would have the time to escort Chris, Kylie, and Ginny down to the great hall to have lunch. Perhaps, after that, you could give them a small tour of the school. I find that Minerva and I have several things to discuss with their parents, a conversation likely to last until, say, 3 o'clock. If you could have them back then, it would be appreciated."

"Not a problem, Perfesser. Come on, kids." With that, Hagrid led Ginny, Kylie, and Chris from the office.

Once the children were gone, Professor Dumbledore cautioned the Weasleys to allow him to inform Alex and Danielle regarding the prophecy that concerned Harry, Chris, Ron, Ginny, Hermione, and Kylie, which he quickly did.

Danielle looked stunned as she began to speak. "Do you mean to tell me that the future of the wizarding world rests on the shoulders of six children who aren't even teenagers yet? They don't have a chance for a normal life, if that's true."

Alex looked from Danielle to Dumbledore. "I thought that you were not a big believer in divination. I remember hearing you state in the past that most of the predictions that seers were known to make are fake."

A look of regret crossed the professor's face for a moment. "While it is true that I have no faith in most prophecies, I assure that this one can be believed due to the circumstances under which it was spoken. The individual who delivered this prophecy was none other than Ginny Weasley, less than one hour after she was born. That fact leaves absolutely no doubt that it is an authentic prediction of the future and that we must take steps to protect the six to whom it refers."

He looked at Arthur and Molly. "In the interest of giving Ginny a chance to get to know Kylie and Christopher, I would again suggest that the two of you consider allowing Alexander, Danielle and the children to live with you at the Burrow until such time as repairs on Potter Manor are completed."

Molly nodded her head at Dumbledore's proposal. "We discussed this last night after you flooed us. If nothing else, having them there would give Ginny someone her own age to spend time with. She's been terribly lonely with her brothers gone."

Alex smiled at the invitation. "Thanks. Are you sure it won't be an inconvenience?"

"Not at all," Arthur said. "There's plenty of room with, as Molly said, all of the boys away."

"On to other matters, then," Dumbledore said. "Let's discuss what to do now with regard to the Dursleys. I have arranged to meet with them later this evening and it would be best to plan, for want of a better phrase, our plan of attack. I fully expect that we should be able to convince them to relinquish guardianship of Harry for all but two weeks of the summer holiday. I would not be adverse to you joining in on this with us, Arthur. Your status as an employee of the Ministry would be useful."

"As you wish, Albus."

"Excellent. Here's what I have in mind." As Professor Dumbledore laid out his plans for the evening, the other five adults quickly developed what could almost be described as evil grins.

Hagrid led Kylie, Ginny, and Chris to the Great Hall, where he decided to let them take seats at the Gryffindor table. After they had been there for a few moments, they were joined by one of the red headed boys Kylie remembered from the evening before. "Would you mind if I join you? We haven't been properly introduced. My name is Percy Weasley." The older boy offered his hand to Chris.

Her friend shook Percy's hand and replied, "Chris Potter."

Kylie offered her hand to be shaken. "Kylie Granger."

With an impish grin on her face, Ginny stuck out her hand to be shaken. "And my name is Ginny."

The older boy started to reach out to shake her hand and then withdrew it. "I know who you are," he said, as an exasperated look appeared on his face.

Chris and Kylie laughed at the facial expression Ginny had caused. "Good one, Ginny," Kylie said.

Percy just huffed at the three of them and walked further down the table before having a seat.

Ginny followed him with her eyes for a moment. "I love Percy, really, I do, but sometimes he's just a little too full of himself."

The three of them began piling food onto their plates when they were interrupted once again, this time by a younger student with blond hair and a rather disagreeable look on his face.

"I don't remember seeing the three of you during the sorting ceremony. Why aren't you wearing your school robes?"

Chris looked at him for a moment before responding. "We're not students here yet. We were told we could sit at this table for lunch while our parents are having a meeting with Professor Dumbledore. By the way, aren't you a little young to be a member of the staff?"

The blond student looked confused. "I'm not a member of the staff. Why would you think that I am?"

"Because of the way that you obviously think that you're in charge around here."

The boy's normally pale skin began to turn red and he began to look angry at Chris' comment. "Who do you think you're talking to that way?"

A girl's voice from behind the blond student responded before Chris could answer. "One of the biggest gits in school, Malfoy; now, why don't you be a good little Slytherin and slither on back to your own table?"

As the boy, who had been blocking Kylie's view, turned to look at the person speaking, Kylie could see Hermione had walked up to join them.

"I don't take orders from you, Granger."

Ginny quickly jumped to her feet. "A Malfoy, huh? That figures."

"Red hair and threadbare clothing. You must be another Weasley."

The youngest of the redheaded boys from last night had now walked up beside Kylie's cousin. "Who told you that you could speak to my sister, Malfoy?"

"I don't ask permission from blood traitors."

Chris rose to his feet. "You're a real scumbag, aren't you?"

Kylie could see Harry approaching.

"You catch on quick, Chris," Harry said. "Malfoy is probably the most obnoxious first year there is here at Hogwarts."

"I don't have to stand here and be insulted by you lot."

Kylie was now on her feet. "No, you could go sit down where you're supposed to and leave us to have lunch in peace. The sooner you do, the better."

"If I won't take orders from her," he said, as he pointed at Hermione, "what makes you think I'll take orders from someone who isn't even old enough to have her own wand?"

"I'm not old enough, huh?" Kylie quickly pulled her wand from her inside jacket pocket, noticing that Chris had done the same. They raised their wands to point them directly at the face of the older boy.

"You wouldn't dare use magic on me. There are rules against students hexing each other."

Chris spoke up. "I remember mentioning the fact that we're not students here yet. Makes me think that rule doesn't apply to us."

The blond boy suddenly looked a lot less sure of himself, although he responded, "You might not be a student here if you hex me. My father is a member of the Board of Governors for Hogwarts." Having said that, he hurriedly turned and walked over to another table and sat down.

Hagrid, who had seen the disturbance, walked up. "What was that all about?"

Harry shot a glare in the direction of the Slytherin table. "Malfoy was just being himself, completely annoying. Is his father really on the Board of Governors?"

"Yeh, 'Arry, 'e is. Sorry state of affairs, that. Ya should be careful with that family. They're a bad lot."

Ron looked over at Malfoy for a moment. "My dad doesn't like his very much." He looked at his sister with curiosity. "What are you doing here?"

"Mum and dad are in a meeting with Dumbledore. Makes me wonder if the twins did something wrong again."

"We resent-

_that implication." They turned to look at Fred and George, who had just walked up. "We've been on-

our best behavior, recently."

"Very recently."

Hagrid looked at them. "'aven't made your way into the Forbidden Forest for three whole days, 'ave ya?"

The twins just grinned at the large bearded man.

"Well, yeh three should finish yer lunch so I can show ye aroun'." He walked back up to the staff table to finish his own meal, leaving the assorted Grangers, Potters, and Weasleys to eat and talk together in peace.


	4. Chapter 4

Discussions and Diversions

After they had finished eating, Chris, Kylie, and Ginny made their way toward Hagrid, who rose from his seat at the staff table. "Ready ta go, then?"

They simply nodded, due to the fact that they were a bit intimidated at the size of him.

"Where do ya think we should go first?" Hagrid asked.

Chris thought for a second and then asked, "What do you think would be the five most interesting things to see here at the school, Hagrid?"

"Let's see, now. Well, there's the Quidditch pitch, I guess. The Astronomy tower'll give ya a good view of the Forbidden Forest, since Dumbledore would sack me if I were to take kids that ain't even students yet in there. If any of ya are like 'Ermione, I'd be thinking you might like the library. I could take you down to me hut and introduce you to Fang." He paused for a moment. "Or, better yet, I could introduce ya ta Fluffy."

Ginny looked at him curiously. "Who's Fluffy?"

"One of my pets, just got him last year. He's a three-headed dog."

That got Kylie's attention. "There's something you don't see every day. Let's have a look."

Once Ginny and Chris had agreed with Kylie, Hagrid led the three of them to a door in what seemed to be an unused hallway on the third floor of the castle. "I fergot, this door is locked. I ain't got no way to open it without a wand."

Chris dipped his hand into his inside jacket pocket. "Do you promise not to tell anyone?"

"Not a word, Chris."

"Alohamora." Chris then grabbed the door handle and pulled. He quickly backed away from the door when he saw that what was on the other side was, indeed, a three headed dog. What he wasn't expecting was to find one that was easily the size of Hagrid, Ginny, Kylie and himself combined.

"Well, who wants to pet him first?"

"P-pet him?" Ginny asked.

"Ah, it'll be alright. Yer with me, so he won't bite ya." Hagrid stepped into the corridor visible on the other side of the doorway. "Fluffy, lie down."

The huge canine quickly did as Hagrid commanded. The large man began to pat it on the middle of the three heads. Heartened by this, the three ten year olds stepped up and began to pet Fluffy.

"Ah, he's just a big puppy," commented Kylie.

Chris replied, "A big puppy that could probably manage to eat all three of us at once." A mischievous look flickered across his face. "It would more than likely have an easier time eating Malfoy, though."

A big smile appeared on Ginny's face after that comment. "What an interesting idea. I may have to mention it to Fred and George."

The kids spent another ten minutes petting Fluffy and scratching behind its ears, which the dog seemed to enjoy immensely; they then decided to continue with their tour.

After being shown the Astronomy tower, the Quidditch Pitch and the library, as well as spending time with Fang and having tea (they chose not to have any of Hagrid's rock cakes) out in Hagrid's hut, they found themselves back at Professor Dumbledore's office a few minutes before three, as the headmaster had requested, where they said goodbye to Hagrid and entered the room.

Their parents were seated around the professor's desk and were making conversation with Dumbledore and McGonagall. "So, did you enjoy the tour, children?" inquired professor Dumbledore.

"It was definitely different, sir. But, I do have a question," said Kylie.

"What do you wish to know, Miss Granger?"

"If you have a three headed dog guarding a third floor corridor, do you use a hydra to guard the seventh floor?" she said, with a grin.

Professor McGonagall looked startled. "Do you mean to tell me that Hagrid introduced you to Fluffy?"

Chris, Ginny, and Kylie nodded.

She placed her hand on the lower part of her forehead, shielding her eyes from view. "Sometimes, I wonder what that man is thinking."

Professor Dumbledore began to chuckle. "I'm sure the children were safe, Minerva. Hagrid knows how to handle creatures of that nature.  
However, if it will make you feel better, I will speak to him about restricting the showing of such things to the older students."

Alex was smiling. "Same old Hagrid. It's nice to know that some things never change."

Molly huffed a little at Alex's statement. "I wish Hagrid would be a little more mindful that most people aren't as big as he is. Some of the things he thinks of as soft and cuddly are capable of being very dangerous."

Ginny spoke up. "Mum, some things that are softly and cuddly are capable of being dangerous."

Her father motioned for her to come over to him. Once she had, Arthur picked her up, set her in his lap and wrapped his arms. "Considering some of the things you've more than likely learned from your brothers, I suspect that you're starting to fit into that category." This statement resulted in laughter from everyone in the room, including Ginny; she did, however, express the opinion that she didn't know what he was talking about.

Just then there was a knock on the door. "Enter." The door opened and Harry, Ron and Hermione walked in.

"I think," said Professor Dumbledore, "that this would be a good time to discuss plans that have been made regarding the next few months for the Grangers and Potters." He looked at the three new arrivals. "Please be seated."

"To begin, this evening, Arthur, Alexander and I will be paying a visit to the Dursleys to discuss new living arrangements for Harry." A smile quickly spread across both Harry's and Chris's faces. "Also this evening, Danielle is planning on paying a visit to Hermione's parents, which will be purely social; she is, of course, taking Kylie with her. Molly will be escorting Ginny and Chris to the Burrow. The Weasleys have graciously offered to allow Danielle, Kylie, Christopher and Alexander to stay there until such time as repairs on Potter Manor have been completed. After that, the four of them will be moving in. The renovations will easily be completed before the end of the school year. Harry, as I have already explained, will need to spend two weeks a year with the Dursleys; the rest of his time will either be spent here at Hogwarts or with his uncle and cousin at Potter Manor."

"We also need to discuss plans for the upcoming Christmas Holiday. Arthur and Molly have decided to travel to Romania in order to spend time with their second son, Charlie. Because of this, I have extended an invitation to Alexander and the others to spend the holiday here at Hogwarts. At this time I must ask young Miss Weasley if she would be interested to spend the holiday here as well, or if she would prefer to make the trip to Romania with her parents? It is your choice."

"I'd get to spend a couple of weeks here at the school?"

Arthur spoke up. "Molly, I do believe that sounded suspiciously as if it will be just you and I going to Romania."

Ginny blushed slightly. "Mum, Dad, you don't mind do you? I mean, it is Hogwarts."

Molly looked at her youngest child. "I would expect you to mind the teachers, Alex, Danielle, and your brothers while you're here, dear. Do you understand?"

"I understand most of that, Mum."

"Most of it? What do you mean, you understand most of it?"

"Well, considering that they offered to send me a Hogwarts toilet seat when you put them on the train this year, do you really want me doing what Fred or George tells me to do?"

Arthur began to laugh. "Molly, I think she won that one."

Molly smiled at Ginny. "Good point, dear. Ignore any orders from the twins.

Everyone in the room began to laugh at that statement, including the normally very stern Professor McGonagall.

"Well now that everything is settled, why don't we leave Professor Dumbledore to tend to any last minute business before he takes Arthur and I to meet the Dursleys? We can probably move this meeting to the Gryffindor Common Room."

Professor McGonagall rose. "Would you mind terribly giving me a little time to speak privately with Christopher? I could send him up after I'm finished."

"Of course. Chris, go with Minerva and we'll see you in a little while. The rest of you, let's go to Gryffindor Tower." They all turned and left the office.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Family Matters

Chris followed Professor McGonagall to her office, unsure of exactly what it was she wished to speak to him about. "Did I do something wrong?"

She closed the door after Chris entered. "In a manner of speaking, yes, you did." She wrapped her arms around him in a gentle embrace. "You have kept your poor grandmother from being able to do this for ten long years while you've been away in another country." She then kissed him on top of the head and smiled down at him.

"What was I thinking?" he said, with a grin. His young face then took on a more serious look. "Has it been hard, not having me here and Mom having died and all, Grandmother?"

"It. . . was not easy, not having any family here, dear, although the students here at the school were able to distract me from feeling too lonely. But I am looking forward to having you here next year. It will not necessarily be easy on you though."

"Why not, Grandmother?"

"There are those who will accuse you of being shown favoritism if they find out that you are my grandson. There is also the fact that I fully expect you to be one of the best in your year at Transfiguration; after all, it is a family tradition that started with me." As she made her last statement, Chris could see that the corners of her mouth began to twitch, as if she was fighting off the urge to smile.

"Would you rather that people not know that I'm your grandson, then?"

"I feel it might be best that as few know that as possible. You would be better off, I think, if you limit that knowledge to your closest friends."

"Well, Kylie already heard from Professor Dumbledore, so I'll probably just tell Harry and maybe Ginny, if that's okay with you."

His grandmother nodded. "I think that would be best, dear."

Chris developed a rather impish grin. "Now as far as Transfiguration is concerned, I don't think I'll have too much trouble with it. I am a natural, after all."

McGonagall looked confused. "What do you mean, you're a natural?"

"You mean Mom and Dad never told you that I'm a metamorphmagus?" As proof, Chris turned his hair from midnight black to a red that would make even the Weasley family jealous.

His grandmother looked at him in surprise. "Why don't we go catch up with your father. It will give me the opportunity to give him a piece of my mind for withholding information from me. I suppose I should think about giving you lessons regarding spells that will allow you to change the appearance of your clothing. I am sure that you would find that sort of magic useful."

"We can talk about that while we catch up with the others, I guess. So, are you going to kill my dad or just maim him a little bit?"

She just laughed.

At about the time that Professor McGonagall was closing the door to her office to have her chat with her grandson, Alex and the others were entering the Gryffindor common room, where they quickly took seats in an unoccupied corner of the room. "Harry, I do hope it isn't a problem for you to spend Christmas here at Hogwarts."

"Well, let's see. I can spend the holidays here, where I actually have people around who like me, or I can spend them with the Dursleys, whose idea of a present for me is an old pair of Uncle Vernon's socks. Gee, there's a tough choice," he said with a smirk. "I think here will suit me just fine, sir."

Alex looked at Harry for a second. He realized that Harry was going to have a problem opening up to someone who claimed to be family but he had counted on it being so bad that his nephew found it necessary to call him sir, rather than Uncle Alex. "I hope you don't think I'm pushing too hard, Harry, but you can call me Uncle Alex instead of sir. Unlike the Dursleys, I don't think you're going to be a burden; in fact, I look forward to having you in my home and my family. I just wish I hadn't agreed to what James wanted. You could have been there long ago if I hadn't."

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley began to protest in response to what Alex had just said.

"Alex, you heard what Albus said. If you would have stayed, you would more than likely have died with James and Lily."

"Too right. If that would have happened, Harry wouldn't have the opportunity to know you or Chris, who wouldn't have been born. At least this way, you have the chance to fix this situation."

Alex looked at Harry. "I'm not even sure I have the right to ask, but are you willing to give me the chance to make it up to you, Harry? After not being here for you when I should have been, I wouldn't blame you if you said no."

"Did my dad have a good reason for asking you to go into hiding?"

"Yes, he was concerned that the people who were after you and your parents might use me to get them out in the open."

"Then, that's good enough for me. You did what you did to try to keep us safe, which is what family should do."

Alex felt a wave of relief wash over him. "Thank you, Harry. I hope I prove worthy of the faith you're showing me."

"Alexander, may I have a moment?" He turned to see that Minerva and Chris had joined them.

"Of course, Minerva." He stood and followed her out of the common room.

Kylie noticed a look of surprise flash across Ginny's face as Chris joined them in the common room.

"Nice hair, Potter."

"Well, since I was going to be staying at your house, Weasley, I decided it might be nice to fit in." By now, all of the Weasleys, as well as Harry, Hermione and Kylie's mom were openly staring at Chris' vivid red hair. "What does everyone think?"

Hermione was the first to respond. "Did Professor McGonagall transfigure your hair that way?"

"Nah. I'm a metamorphmagus. It's a natural gift that popped up at birth, according to my dad."

The noise from everyone attempting to ask questions at once caused other students in the Gryffindor common room to glare at the suddenly very loud group.

"What else can you do?"

"Can you change size?"

"Can you look like a specific person?"

"Make yourself look like Harry."

"Yeah, copy Harry."

Chris decided to give in to the request and changed his facial features, height and build instantly to look exactly like his cousin, right down to the lightning bolt shaped scar, and then walked over to stand next to him. At the same time, the Weasley twins, Fred and George, joined the group in the corner.

"Wicked," they exclaimed in unison, "it's the Potter twins."

Even Mrs. Weasley laughed at the antics of her twin sons, seeing as they weren't harmful to anyone, which could sometime be the case with Fred and George.

Alex and Professor McGonagall re-entered the common room and stopped when they discovered that there were now two Harrys standing with the party gathered in the corner.

Professor McGonagall quickly recovered. "I suppose it could have been worse. At least I don't have to deal with the concept of the Weasley triplets."

Chris grinned at her mischievously. "At least ways, not yet you don't. Who knows what next year might hold though?"

Alex interrupted before the Professor could respond. "On that note, those of us who have business elsewhere should probably be leaving. Harry, I will see you no later than Christmas holiday. I look forward to the chance to get to know Ron, Fred, George and Percy then, as well. Hermione, it was nice meeting you. Hopefully the opportunity to get to know you better will happen. Goodbye, guys."

Arthur, Molly, Ginny, Kylie, Chris, and Danielle all said their goodbyes as well. They then left the common room and returned to Professor Dumbledore's office, where they quickly divided up into the various groups which had different destinations for the evening. Danielle and Kylie took the Floo to the Leaky Cauldron, where they would be able to catch a cab to Hermione's home for a visit with Hermione's parents. Chris flooed to the Burrow along with Ginny and her mom, while Professor Dumbledore, Alex and Arthur made final preparations for their encounter with Vernon and Petunia Dursley. After a few minutes of discussion, the three men left the professor's office and made their way out of the castle and through the gates of Hogwarts. They then apparated to Privet Drive and quickly walked up to Number 4, where Professor Dumbledore knocked politely on the door.

After a few moments, the door was opened by a rather large, beefy man who, once he had seen how the professor was dressed, began to scowl. "Quickly, get inside before someone notices how abnormal you look, you old fool." Obviously, this meeting was quickly going to take a rude turn. Professor Dumbledore allowed himself a small smile; the trio of wizards was prepared for such behavior and was capable of not only giving as good as they got but were prepared to return better than they got. Albus entered the house, followed closely by Alex and Arthur, who had begun grinning because they were fully prepared to make the rotund Vernon Dursley pay for his rudeness.

They all were quick to take seats in the Dursleys' living room. "So, what is this all about? And who are these two?"

Albus spoke quietly yet firmly to Mr. Dursley. "Permit me to introduce myself and my two associates. My name is Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, where your nephew Harry attends school. The gentleman with red hair is Arthur Weasley, who works for the Ministry of Magic," he could see Vernon wince at the use of the word magic, "the governing body for those of us within the wizarding community here in England. The other gentleman's name is Alexander Potter, James Potter's older brother, and he, like you, is Harry's uncle."

Vernon looked shocked for a moment but then began to develop a look of glee. Before he could say anything, however, Alex gave him a cold glare and began to criticize Vernon for the neglect and abuse Harry had received during the time he had been living at Number 4 Privet Drive. By the time Alex had finished speaking, Mr. Dursley was sweating profusely; he had no idea how much worse it was about to get.

Arthur quickly took up the criticism, making mention of the fact that for years the Dursleys had been receiving compensation for Harry's room and board, as well as money to be used to but things Harry would need such as clothing and as well as other personal items; it was even a provision of the Potter's will that money was to be given in the way of a weekly allowance for Harry. Arthur pointed out that between the neglect, abuse and misappropriation of funds, it was very possible that Mr. and Mrs. Dursley could be looking at very long term imprisonment.

Professor Dumbledore then played their final card, in order that Harry would be permitted to spend two weeks at the Dursleys over the summer holiday with no repeat of the behavior he had been subjected to in the past. He pointed out that if the Dursleys did not accommodate Harry, the imprisonment of the two of them would result in Dudley receiving treatment that he would not appreciate, namely the opportunity to spend time in an orphanage until either his parents were out of prison or he became of age. He then proceeded to tell Vernon this was not negotiable, at which time Albus, Alex and Arthur got up, wished the Dursleys a pleasant evening and left the house. They did, however, glimpse through the window to see that Vernon was still sitting on the couch, looking rather shell-shocked. The man had not managed to get a word in edgewise during the entire meeting, which was exactly as the three men had planned it. They walked up to the end of the street, rather pleased with themselves, and apparated to the Burrow.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Hogwarts Holiday

Now that the meeting with the Dursleys had taken place, everybody felt certain that Harry's treatment while staying at Number 4 Privet Drive would improve. This made it easier for everyone at the Burrow to settle in and prepare for the upcoming holidays. Unfortunately, the adults at the Burrow were unaware what preparing for the holidays meant to the three ten year olds. None of the adults knew the three children were hiding things from their parents.

First, they had received a letter from Harry, telling them he won his first Quidditch match. It also told them that Hermione had set fire to the Potions teacher and why, information Harry had chosen to keep from the adults. Because of this, Chris, Ginny and Kylie decided teaching each other spells they knew would be an excellent idea, just to be on the safe side.

Second, Chris had told the girls about the other wand currently in his possession. Since no one had taken the wand of the man who attacked the theater from Chris, he was able to give it to Ginny. The extra wand allowed the three to practice magic during the time before Christmas without anyone catching them. By the middle of December, they became very familiar with some of the more common and easier to use spells.

Third, Chris had a surprise for Ginny and Kylie that would make things easier on the three of them once they actually begin their studies at Hogwarts. If it became possible for them to get away from everyone else, he hoped Ginny would be able to help him prepare what would become a private place for them to study and to store things they did not want anyone else to know about. He thought that would be a good idea because he felt the chaos that he saw in the Gryffindor common room over Halloween would more than likely make studying in there difficult.

There was also, of course, an opportunity for Christmas shopping, which quickly turned into a kind of contest to see who could find the best present for Harry, as he had never really been given the chance to celebrate Christmas properly with the Dursleys.

Finally, the first day of the Christmas holiday was upon them. Arthur and Molly were packed and ready to apparate to Romania, while Alex, Chris, and Ginny had their trunks sitting by the fireplace ready for the trip by Floo to Hogwarts at noon. Danielle and Kylie had left for the Granger residence the night before in order to be with Hermione's parents when they met Hermione at the King's Cross train station.

When noon finally arrived, Arthur and Molly gave very enthusiastic hugs to their only daughter, told her to behave, and wished Ginny, Alex, and Chris a Happy Christmas. They watched as each of the three grabbed a handful of Floo powder and, with Alex going first, threw it into the fireplace, shouted their destination, "Hogwarts," and vanished in a burst of green flames.

One by one, Alex, Chris, and Ginny found themselves in Professor McGonagall's office, where Alex quickly cleaned the soot off them with a wave of his wand and an incantation.

"Thank you for that, Alexander. I do hate having ashes all over my carpet."

"My pleasure, ma'am." He smirked at her as he said this.

Professor McGonagall glared at him for a moment before replying. "In case no one has told you, it is considered rude to tease your mother-in-law." The twitch at the corners of her mouth gave away the fact she was not as unhappy as her words indicated.

Alex gave a short laugh as Chris walked over to give his grandmother a hug. When he turned back to face the others, he noticed that Ginny had a surprised look on her face.

"The professor is your grandmother?"

"I knew there was something I forgot to tell you. Sorry, Ginny."

Ginny gave a small shrug and replied, "I suppose that not everyone should know about this."

Professor McGonagall spoke up. "There could be people who would have an issue with the possibility of favoritism, Ginny, so I suggested that he might wish to tell only you, Harry, and Kylie Granger. It might prevent trouble from others." She turned to Alex. "Your nephew and Ronald Weasley have your room assignments in Gryffindor Tower and await you in the common room to help you get settled. Unfortunately, I have school business to take care of and will be unavailable until dinner. I will see you then." The three of them wished her well and made their way to the Gryffindor common room.

When they arrived in the common room, they found Ron and Harry involved in a game of Wizard chess, which Harry was losing badly. Ginny walked up behind her brother and quickly covered his eyes with her hands, making Ron jump and upset the board. "How many times do I have to ask you not to do that, Ginny?"

"All of them, evidently, although why you keep asking when you know I intend to continue is beyond me," she said with a grin. "How about being a little less grumpy and tell us what rooms we're in, you silly git?"

Ron's face turned bright crimson. "I can't believe Mum lets you kiss her with that mouth."

Alex stepped between them. "Okay, you two. Let's just go get our things put away and then, maybe, we can have a nice afternoon together." He looked at Ron for a moment. "Where are your other brothers?"

"Percy is up in his dorm room studying, of all things, and the twins are probably out planning their next prank."

Ginny piped up. "I'm probably getting a very strange shaped package for Christmas, then. I wonder which bathroom those two are vandalizing."

A pair of voices issued from the stairs leading to the boys' dorms.

"I can't…"

"…believe this."

"Our own dear baby sister…"

"…talking that way about us."

Fred and George now stood at the bottom of the stairs, smiling at Ginny.

"How can you…"

"…say such things?"

"Because I know the two of you so well."

"That must come from…"

"…growing up around us."

They walked over, gave her a hug and kissed her on top of the head. "Hi, little sis," they said, in unison. Ginny just giggled at her prank-playing brothers and then felt to see if they had stuck anything on her back.

"She doesn't trust us."

"She's smarter than Ron and Percy."

"There is that."

Chris and Harry began to laugh at the antics of the twins, who walked over to join them.

"Welcome back o Hogwarts, Chris." They held out their hands to shake with Chris. Chris just looked at the palms of both boys' hands suspiciously and then looked up at their faces.

"Ginny, should I trust these two."

"Only if you're insane."

Chris pulled out his wand and pointed it at Fred's hand. "Scourgify." He then repeated his action with George. After he put his wand away, he was willing to shake hands with the two mischief-making teenagers.

The twins walked over to Alex's and Chris's trunks, picked them up and began to make their way up to the first year dorm, where Chris and Alex would be staying with Ron and Harry. One of the older female students gave Ginny a hand getting her trunk up to Hermione's dorm room, which, for the Christmas holiday, she would have to herself. Once accomplishing that, they spent the rest of the day lounging around, talking, and playing Exploding Snap and Wizards chess until dinner.

Dinner turned out to be a rather lively affair, which took place at a single, long table. Once Hagrid discovered Chris and Ginny would be spending the entire holiday at the school, he once again invited them for a visit with Fluffy and even offered to train Fluffy to obey the two of them. This, naturally, resulted in a very harsh glare and even harsher words from Professor McGonagall for the Hogwarts grounds keeper. On top of that, the combined antics of all the Weasleys eventually drove Professor Snape, who left in a rather huffy fashion, to vow never to eat at the same table with Ginny and her brothers ever again. Once dinner was over, the Weasleys and the Potters headed back to Gryffindor tower for the rest of the night.

The following morning, after everyone finished breakfast, Chris decided it would be a good time to set up the new private study area for him and the girls. He looked down the table at Ginny. "Want to go explore the castle for a while, Ginny?"

"Sure, a little exercise would be nice. I think I ate a little too much."

"Cool. We'll see you at lunch, guys." The two of them rose from their seats and made their way out of the Great Hall.

Because of the tour they had received during their previous visit, Chris was able to lead Ginny up to a tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy located on the seventh floor. "Want to see something really neat?"

"Okay," Ginny replied, with a look of curiosity.

"Wait right here and don't move." Having said that, he began walking back and forth along the corridor, thinking about how badly he needed a place to hide something. After passing the tapestry for the third time, a door appeared in the wall across from it. He quickly pulled the door open and motioned for Ginny to enter. "A few years ago, I heard my mom and dad talking about this place. There's supposed to be a lot of stuff in here that we might be able to use." Then, the two of them got a good look at how large the room was, as well as the incredible number of items stored here, and both of their jaws dropped.

"This might take more work than I thought," Chris said. "Welcome to the Room of Requirement."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

The Headquarters of Team Déjà Vu

The two ten year olds gazed in awe at the sight that lay before them. The room that stretched out before them was the size of a large warehouse. It was also full to overflowing with a large number of different items including thousands of books, damaged pieces of furniture and a large assortment of other items ranging in value from almost worthless to very expensive. Some were magical, though a few seemed almost drained of power.

From the expression on her face, which reminded him of characters from old cartoons he saw when he was younger, hearing the sound an antique cash register makes every time she blinked would not surprise Chris at all. "Ginny, you're drooling."

"Shut it, Potter." The glare she was giving him quickly changed to a smile. "Do you think we can get away with claiming salvage rights?"

"Let's go down there and see if there's anything we want. I'm sure no one is going to miss any of this stuff."

They moved quickly through the room, gathering items they wanted. Some of them quite valuable, including the pile of jewels Ginny had discovered, as well as one item Chris chose that Ginny found to be an amusing choice. "Chris, you're just being weird."

"Oh, come on, Ginny. Every club should have a mascot."

"A dead troll that someone had stuffed is your idea of a mascot?"

"It's easier to get along with than a live troll, just ask your brother, Ron. Besides, we can use it as a target to practice spells. I'll let you name it, if you let me keep him. Pleeeease, Ginny?" He looked at her with puppy dog eyes and his hands clasped in front of him.

"Fine, I'll let you keep Manfred here." She shook her head. "Boys."

"Team Déjà Vu now has its own official mascot. Manfred, huh. Poking a little fun at one of the twins, are you?"

"You got a problem with that?"

"Not me." He looked at the jewels his friend had found. "Those look to be fairly valuable. Do I get a share?"

"I'll think about it."

As it began to near time for lunch, the two of them had put together a sizable number of items. However, they still had several days work ahead of them to prepare everything they wished to move into the room they would use as their clubhouse.

"We should get down to the Great Hall; it's almost time for lunch. Did you find anything that you want to take back to the Burrow with you, Ginny?"

"Just this, The Big Book of Pranks. I have a lot of time to set a few of them in the boys' rooms before they get home for summer holiday."

"Need any help?"

"I was hoping you'd ask. What book is that you have?"

"101 Transfiguration Spells. There are quite a few that looked useful, since I'm a metamorphmagus. By the way, what was that spell I saw you trying on Manfred?"

"Just a little something I found in one of the other books called the Bat Bogey Hex."

Chris quickly picked up a nearby book. "You should see this one. It's called the Incontinence Jinx. It's supposed to make somebody lose control of their bladder."

"Nice. A spell that makes someone wet himself. How were you planning on testing it?" she said, looking at him suspiciously.

"Don't worry. I was planning on teaching it to Ron and Harry, so they could try it on Malfoy."

"That's evil. I like it."

"I figured you would. Let's go stash these in our trunks and head down to the Great Hall."

After several more days, Chris and Ginny had finally gathered all of the items they wished to transfer to the new configuration they wished to try for the Room of Requirement. It had been difficult. Chris had found a large quantity of antique medieval weapons he wished to keep, which included an axe in slightly less than perfect condition. Ginny insisted that he clean the bloodstains off before she would allow him to keep it. '_She acts just like her mother.'_

They also found themselves forced to divide the endless piles of books into two categories: acceptable for use and Dark.

"Looks like another one for the reject pile."

"What's this one about?"

"It's about creating a magical item and enchanting it to hold part of your soul. The bad thing about it is that you have to kill someone in order to make it. It's called a Horcrux."

"What kind of sick person do you have to be to make something like that?"

"Beats me." They set the book aside.

Eventually, however, they completed their task, moved all of the items they had chosen to keep out of the Room of Requirement and Chris paced the length of the corridor. '_I need a place where my friends and I can come to study. It needs to be a place where we can be comfortable and relax. It would also be useful to have separate areas where we can make potions or other items if we need to. It should also be protected by a password in order to enter and the password should be nostalgia'_

A door appeared. Chris quickly said the password, pulled the door open and quickly began to move all of their new belongings into the room with Ginny's assistance. Once they set everything inside the door, they managed the time to take a good look at their new headquarters.

It was roughly the size of the Gryffindor common room. Along one wall, there was a large fireplace surrounded by several comfortable looking chairs. In the other half of the room, was a single, long table encircled by a number of chairs for study.

Set into the back wall, opposite the entrance to the room, were a pair of doors. Chris and Ginny made their way to a door, opened it and looked inside. The first door concealed a potions laboratory, well stocked with everything they would need for creating various potions, including a large quantity of ingredients.

Behind the other door was another laboratory, although this one appeared to be for the creation of solid items of all types. It also included some of the magic depleted items they had rejected and previously unseen manuals on how to re-enchant them.

"This is awesome," Ginny stated emphatically. "Now all we need is for the room to magically put all of our items in their proper places and we're all set."

"Kylie's going to love this," Chris replied, with a grin.

They turned and left the lab, only to discover Ginny's request fulfilled. Everything they had shifted from the other manifestation of the room now sat where it belonged. What made this so surprising was that Chris had forgotten the notion of placing bookshelves in this room but they now existed and they were full. They felt very pleased; the room was ready and tomorrow was Christmas. With big smiles on their faces, they exited the room and made their way back to Gryffindor Tower.

The rest of the day was a rather enjoyable one for everyone. The twins spent a large part of the day teasing Percy although they did so in a friendlier than normal fashion. There were a large number of games of Wizarding chess and Exploding Snap. Towards the end of the evening, everyone sat around talking and drinking hot chocolate in front of the massive fireplace. Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore even put in an appearance to spend time with the Weasleys and the Potters. Finally, though, Alex ushered all of them off to bed.

The following morning, Chris and Harry found themselves woken early by a very enthusiastic Ron. "Oi. You two need to get out of bed. There are presents to be opened."

"What is it with people from large families at Christmas?" Chris asked, as both he and Harry began hurling pillows at the red haired boy.

"I have no idea," replied Harry, who suddenly developed a very stunned look.

"Harry, what's the matter?"

"Are all of these actually for me?" Harry asked, as he saw the pile of presents at the foot of his bed.

"Well, of course, they are. You look as if you never received Christmas presents before."

"That's because I haven't," Harry said, in a small voice.

Chris looked horrified for a moment. "Sorry, Harry, I forgot what you've been living with all these years. Look at the bright side, my dad and I, we're going to change all that.

Ron, who finished unwrapping all of his gifts by this time, looked at a rather squashy looking package at the foot of Harry's bed. "It looks like my mum intends to change that, too. I think that package is from her, which probably means you've gotten a Weasley sweater. Chris has one, too, from the looks of it."

The Potter cousins quickly tore open the presents Ron had indicated to discover that they had, indeed, received a sweater from Mrs. Weasley. Harry's was green while Chris' was black. There was also a large package of fudge with each of the sweaters.

Ron was holding up his sweater. "Maroon again. She always makes mine maroon."

He looked at Chris' for a moment. "That's unusual. I've never seen Mum knit anything black before."

"She probably did it because black and white go with everything but white shows dirt too easily." Chris then began changing his hair and eye color rapidly, causing the two older boys to laugh.

Harry and Chris quickly finished unwrapping their presents. Chris had originally gotten Harry a set of miniature figures depicting various creature and monsters of the Wizarding world but had transfigured the human looking characters into replicas of Harry, Ron and Hermione. There was also a figure of a mountain troll in the set. When Harry saw what Chris had given him, he smiled. "Thanks, Chris. Nice work on these," he said, holding up the figures so that Ron could see them.

"Maybe one of these days, I'll be able to animate them. Or you could ask one of the professors to do it."

The next package Harry unwrapped left all three of them awestruck. A silvery cloak shimmered as Harry held it up into the light.

"It can't be," Ron stammered.

I-I think it is," Chris replied.

Harry looked confused by their expressions. "What is it?"

Ron and Chris answered in unison. "It's an invisibility cloak."

"Put it on, Harry," Ron ordered.

"Yeah, this way we can both not see what you look like," Chris said, with a smirk.

Harry laughed, draped the cloak over his shoulders, pulled the hood over his head and was gone.

"Wicked," exclaimed the other two boys.

Harry tried to look at himself in the mirror but could not see his body although he could see the reflections of both Chris and Ron, despite the fact that he was between them and the mirror. He smiled and then began to move quietly behind the two boys. When he was where he wished to be, he tapped the two of them on the shoulder.

"Ahhhh."

"Oi. What's all of the screaming about?" a voice from the hall asked.

Quick as he could, Harry removed the cloak and hid it just in time. Percy entered the room with a surly look on his face, followed closely by the twins, Fred and George.

"Nothing, really. We're just playing around," Chris answered. Happy Christmas, guys."

"Happy Christmas to you, too, Chris. You lot ready to head down for breakfast."

"Sure, let's go."

The three older Weasleys turned and left the dorm room. Chris whispered to Harry, "Don't want them to know about it?"

"Not with the mischief Fred and George are capable of. They'd constantly want to borrow it."

"I wouldn't blame them for that. It would be handy for pranking people. By the way, I'd like to advise you of my special services. If I'm not doing anything else, and for the use of the cloak occasionally, I can be persuaded to relief you of the burden of detentions while we're both at school," Chris said, as he changed his appearance to look exactly like Harry. "And if you think those two can be bad, imagine a metamorphmagus with access to an invisibility cloak." Chris began rubbing his hands together, as an evil smile grew on his face.

The rest of Alex, Chris and Ginny's time at Hogwarts flew by quickly and finally they returned to the Burrow three days before the New Year, with Kylie and Danielle returning the following day. Chris and Ginny explained to Kylie what they had accomplished at Hogwarts, causing Kylie to begin looking forward to her education at the school.

Molly and Arthur had convinced Danielle and Alex that, because Alex had watched out for Ginny during the trip to Romania, they should go out and "do something nice" for New Year's Eve. This, naturally, resulted in Chris and Kylie telling them all of the rules the two should follow.

"You two young people need to be home by a respectable hour. Be careful not to overindulge in alcohol. If there's a problem, you should contact us immediately." and other assorted pieces of advice flowed out of the mouths of the two ten year olds as their parents prepared to leave for the evening. Ginny simply stood there, laughing at the antics of her friends. She nearly fell to the floor with laughter when Chris suggested he should have "THE TALK" with his dad before they could leave for the evening. Alex just glared at Chris for that one. That did not stop Chris from hanging signs all over the Burrow that read, "It's the New Year. Do you know where your parents are?" just before he went to bed that evening.

The news of the completion of the renovation of Potter Manor arrived several days after New Years and the Potters, Grangers and Weasleys decided that the following evening they would all Floo there to see how the house looked.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Potter Manor

Chris awoke the following morning very excited; he knew that later in the evening, he would finally see his family's ancestral home for the first time. He'd heard descriptions of it from his dad, but felt seeing it for himself would be one of the greatest moments of his life. After thinking about it for a few moments, he decided to get dressed and head downstairs for breakfast.

When he made it down to the kitchen at the Burrow, he discovered the only person present was Mrs. Weasley. With an evil grin on his face, he silently snuck up behind her. He then threw his arms around her shoulders, gave her a kiss on the cheek and said, "Good morning, Aunt Molly." He then quickly scurried away.

Half shocked and half amused, the red haired woman turned to face the ten-year-old boy, uncertain how to react. Finally, amusement won out. She served his breakfast with a smile. "You're an evil child, Christopher Potter. Never doubt it."

"That's pretty much what my dad said when he saw all those signs I hung on New Year's Eve." He began to eat.

"What did he do this time?" His dad had entered the room.

"I simply gave her a hug, kissed her on the cheek and wished her a good morning."

"He's forgetting to mention that I had my back turned and didn't know he was there."

"That's just an unfortunate coincidence."

"He also referred to me as Aunt Molly."

"There's nothing wrong with that. I think of you as family." He smirked at her, completely unrepentant.

Suddenly, there was a tapping at the window. They looked and saw a snowy white owl, who was seeking entry. "Hedwig." Chris walked over and opened the window. The beautiful winged creature flew over, landing on the chair Chris had vacated. Alex quickly removed the letter she was carrying from Hedwig's leg and glanced at it. "It's for you, Chris."

Dear Chris,

Just wanted to write you a quick letter and let you know how things are going here at school.

The Gryffindor Quidditch team won our second match this year. We were playing the Hufflepuffs and I managed to catch the Snitch about five minutes after it started. It's supposed to be one of the shortest matches ever in the history of the school. For some reason, Professor Snape was the referee and he was less than happy when I caught the Snitch as it was flying past him on the Pitch.

Hermione, Ron and I think we've figured out what the professors are guarding in the third floor hallway where they're keeping Fluffy; it looks like it's a Sorcerer's Stone. We talked to Hagrid about it but he won't say much.

You might be interested to know that Malfoy has been having some serious hygiene problems of late that seem to stem from a lack of bladder control on a regular basis for the past week or so. It may be something in the water here at school, which means his two goons, Crabbe and Goyle, could end up suffering from it soon.

Anyway, that's pretty much everything going on Hogwarts. Hope to hear from you soon

Your cousin,

Harry

P.S.

Tell everyone I said hello. Ron and Hermione say hello, too.

Chris looked up from reading the letter to discover that Mr. Weasley, Mrs. Granger, Kylie and Ginny had joined him and his dad at the table. "The Gryffindors won their second Quidditch match in about five minutes. Harry says Professor Snape was the referee for that match. I'm going to write Harry back after breakfast and tell him about Potter Manor, if you don't mind, Dad"

"That's fine, Chris. Ask him how he wants his room decorated when you do."

"Okay." He looked at Ginny and Kylie. "Do you two want to add anything to the letter?"

The girls nodded and followed him upstairs after they had finished eating.

Once they were alone, Chris showed Kylie and Ginny the letter from Harry.

"Nice to see that spell works. I can't wait to use it on that blond idiot myself," Chris said. "What's a Sorcerer's Stone?"

Kylie shrugged her shoulders. "Don't ask me. I'm new to the Wizarding world."

"I've never heard of it either," replied Ginny.

"Well, we'll ask him what it does in our letter," said Chris. They sat down to write to Harry, Ron and Hermione.

Dear Harry, Hermione and Ron,

Thanks for letting us know what's happening at the school.

We do have a question. What does the item you told us about do? We've never heard of it.

Harry, the work on Potter Manor is finished and my dad said to ask you how you want your room decorated.

Not much else going on here. Write back soon regarding your room.

Love,

Ginny, Kylie and Chris.

Also known as Team Déjà Vu

Another proud Granger, Potter, Weasley combination

The three went downstairs, tied the letter to Errol, the Weasley's owl, and sent him to deliver the letter to Hogwarts.

The rest of the day passed rather quickly and as soon as dinner was finished, everyone Flooed to Potter Manor.

As they popped out of the fireplace, everybody's jaw but Alex's practically hit the floor. The lavish entry hall alone was the same size as the first floor of the Burrow and was stunning. The floor was black marble with inlays of pure silver set in an intricate pattern and the double doors leading out onto the grounds were made of ebony. It quickly became apparent that this room could also double as a ballroom, if that type of entertaining was desirable.

"Well," said Alex, "would you like to see the inside or the outside first?"

It took several moments for the feeling of being overwhelmed to fade enough for anyone to answer. Mr. Weasley answered first. "Let's have a look outside while there's still daylight left."

Alex opened the ebony doors and led the others outside.

The beautifully landscaped front lawn consisted of a circular drive encircling a large fountain, sculpted from the same marble as the floor of the entry hall. A series of two and a half foot tall hedges, laid out in a maze that extended to the edges of the forest encircling the manor, surrounded the drive.

The exterior of the four-story house itself was granite, almost white in color. There were several balconies along the front of the house and numerous windows took up space along the facing as well.

When they walked to the rear of the house, they found a large greenhouse awaiting use for growing magical plants. There was also a long field with a single Quidditch goal at each end, although they weren't as tall as those at Hogwarts were. As with the front of the house itself, there were balconies on the rear facing of the huge building.

Molly was amazed at the grounds. "You are going to have so much trouble keeping my children from visiting. They'll want to play as much as they can."

Alex said, "They're welcome to come over anytime, Molly. Let's look at the inside now."

They entered through a door at the rear of the house, which led into the kitchen. Furnished with new cabinetry and countertops, it was just as artistic as it was functional. There were also two large storerooms, one on each side of the room.

They continued through to the formal dining room, extravagantly furnished with a long mahogany table and chairs capable of seating twenty. Affixed to the ceiling above it, a pair of intricate chandeliers ensured that the room would have plenty of light.

Chris looked at his father for a moment. "Are we going to be able to keep this place clean, Dad?"

"What do you mean, we? A better question would be are you going to be able to?"

"I'd take that seriously if I weren't going to Hogwarts for ten months of the year starting in September."

"I should have realized you'd catch me on that one. Evil child."

"So, do I get an answer to my previous question, now? Evil adult." Chris smirked at his dad.

"We have a few servants, son."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Platform 9 3/4

"Servants? What do you mean, we have servants?" Chris asked.

"Well, let me show you." Alex turned away from the others and spoke two names. "Halya. Damar."

Instantly, there was a pair of quiet popping sounds and standing before them were two small figures with large eyes and ears. "Master has called?" they said, in unison.

"Dad, are these house elves?"

"Right in one, Chris."

Kylie stood there, feeling confused. "What are house elves?"

Ginny spoke up. "They're magical creatures that seem to really enjoy doing household chores, like cooking and cleaning. In fact, they like it so much they're willing to work for free. A lot of the older Wizarding families have them." It seemed for a moment as if she were going to say more but evidently decided against it.

Alex motioned the two little creatures forward. He pointed to the male of the pair, "This is Damar and that," indicating the female, "is Halya." He then introduced the Weasleys, the Grangers, and Chris to the two house elves.

Damar looked to Alex. "Will the other young Master, Harry Potter, be joining us tonight, sir?"

"No, Damar, Harry is away at school but he'll be here for most of the summer holiday." He looked agitated for a moment. "I really wish those two weeks at the Dursleys weren't necessary. I don't trust that lot any farther than I can throw them."

"It shouldn't be too difficult to have their activities monitored, Alex," said Arthur. "Between us, we should be able to have someone in the area most of the days he's with them. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if some of the folks at Hogwarts would be willing to help with that."

"Hagrid," suggested Ginny.

Chris disagreed. "He'd stand out in a crowd too much, which might make things worse. My grandmother, on the other hand, would do nicely for this." He began to make puppy dog eyes and pretend as if he were trying to convince someone to do something they would not otherwise do. "Please. Please help us watch over Harry." Then he smirked at the others. "Do you think I can convince her?"

The others began to laugh at Chris' antics. Kylie looked at him for a moment, and then asked, "Are you really going to attempt manipulating Professor McGonagall that way?"

"Not unless it's necessary," was his reply.

Damar and Halya, however, were standing there with looks of concern on their faces. "Is Master Harry in danger from these Dursleys you speak about?"

Mrs. Weasley considered the question for a moment and then responded. "It shouldn't be a problem but the Dursleys are Muggles and they hate magic. They also weren't fond of Harry's father, James. They are of the opinion that he corrupted Lily and they feel it led to her death."

"Then, if you need more help, we are willing to help keep watch on Master Harry."

Alex smiled at the two of them. "Thank you. It would be a big help to have you involved. Your ability to go unseen would be very useful."

The faces of the two house elves became flushed with embarrassment. It had been many years since they had spoken to members of the family they served, making being praised by one of the family an unexpected pleasure.

To spare the two any further discomfort, Alex made a great pretense of looking at his watch. "It is getting really late. Why don't we all spend the night here and tomorrow we can take care of any other business that we need to. Are there bedrooms available for use tonight?"

Damar and Halya assured them that there were, led them all up to the second floor and helped them settle in for the evening.

The remaining months of the school year passed quickly. There were many owl posts sent between the various children of the Granger, Potter and Weasley clans explaining how decorating the rooms of Potter manor was proceeding, results of Quidditch matches and other school happenings. (The adults were a little disappointed to discover the loss of house points due to Harry and Hermione having a midnight adventure. The letter sent to Chris, Ginny and Kylie included the explanation of getting the dragon reserve Ginny's brother Charlie worked at to take Norbert, which had also managed to bite Ron, a couple of facts which were not in the note sent by Professor McGonagall to Alex.)

The most surprising information of all managed to arrive just before the end of the school year, when they heard that Harry, Ron and Hermione had managed to protect the Sorcerer's Stone from Professor Quirrell, who was the teacher for Defense Against the Dark Arts. However, they were a little unclear as to how he had been in league with Lord Voldemort, the person who had killed Harry's parents, James and Lily, and why exactly the dark wizard was after the stone to begin with. They also wrote that the Trio's involvement in saving the Stone garnered them sufficient points, along with ten points won by another first year named Neville, to cause the Gryffindors to win the House Cup, making them heroes within their House.

Finally, the last day of the Hogwarts school year had arrived and the Weasleys, the Grangers, including Hermione's parents, and the Potters found themselves awaiting the return of the Hogwarts Express at the King's Cross train station.

As the train pulled into the station, the excitement Ginny, Chris and Kylie felt grew to the point that it seemed the three ten year olds were ready to have a meltdown. Before they could, however, Percy, Fred, George, Hermione, Ron and Harry exited the train, causing everyone to hurry forward to greet them. A large number of hugs, most, if not all, of which involved the Granger and Weasley females, quickly took place and then, everyone stepped off to the side while they discussed plans for the summer.

It came to be decided that, during the two weeks that Harry would be required to stay with the Dursleys, who were waiting just outside the portal to platform 9 ¾, Kylie and Danielle would be going on holiday with Hermione and her parents. Chris, meanwhile, was going to spend two weeks with his Grandmother Minerva at her summer home.

Once the plans for the summer had been explained to everyone, they set out as a group to have one last conversation with the Dursleys regarding appropriate treatment of Harry. This, of course, had the effect of leaving Vernon, Petunia and Dudley rather shaken and pale.

Finally, the various families went their separate ways for the next two weeks, not knowing their conversations had been monitored by someone hiding in the shadows.


End file.
